California Wine, Alexander Valley

About Estancia Vineyard and Winery

At Estancia Winery each of our wines has its own singular way of expressing the ground and environment from which it was born. Being a vineyard-based winery is the essence of our philosophy. Estancia Winery believes a great wine is a reflection of the care and uniqueness of its terroir - the combined environment of soil, topography, climate and people. Estancia Winery is committed to nurturing this tie of wine to its soil, to its somewhereness, so that each of our wines reflect the full expression of our vineyards. Our philosophy at Estancia Winery is founded in our conviction that the terroir of the variety is of the utmost importance in determining the wine's character, quality and value.

Estancia Winery 2001 Pinnacles Chardonnay

Estancia Vineyards Pinnacles Chardonnay is made from grapes grown in our Pinnacles vineyard on the western flanks of the Gavilan Mountains in Monterey County. In this up-and-coming region, the cool climate and sandy, well-drained soils keep yields low and fruit intensity high. The cool Monterey climate accompanied by a long growing season produced a ripe, mouthfilling Chardonnay. A rich, fruity bouquet and soft, creamy texture of this Chardonnay result from combining the best attributes of barrel and tank fermentation. Subtle oak accentuates bright fruit.

Estancia Winery 2001 Pinot Noir

The release of the 2001 vintage fully expresses winemaker Ken Shyver's approach to Pinot Noir at Estancia. Ken and his team rely on the benefits of old-world winemaking techniques including whole-berry fermentation, gentle punch downs and pressing. Additionally, he uses only native yeasts to increase aromatics and gentle gravity flow systems to minimize aggressive tannins. This hand-crafted approach results in Pinot Noir with soft, luscious flavor, aromas and rich, deep color. The 2001 Pinot Noir is produced primarily from Estancia's Pinnacles vineyard on the western flanks of Monterey County's Gavilan Mountains. Cooled by ocean breezes flowing south from Monterey Bay and aided by well-drained sandy soils, Monterey is one of Califonria's most ideal growing regions for Pinot Noir. Our vineyards are planted to eleven different Pinot Noir clones, including Dijon, Pommard, and Hanzell, as well as the original Mistral selection, first planted at Pinnacles in the early 1960s. Each clone is chosen for the unique character and flavor it adds to the final blend.

Estancia Winery 1999 Reserve Pinot Noir

Estancia Reserve Pinot Noir is produced from grapes grown in our vineyards on the western flanks of the Gavilan Mountains. This 100 million year old mountain range is primarily decomposed granite that allows for very well drained soils. The combination of the soil and the cool ocean breezes flowing south from Monterey Bay make this region ideal for Pinot Noir. Estancia has invested significant research into the growing of Pinot Noir. Our Pinnacles and Stonewall vineyards are planted to eleven different clones including Dijon 115, 777 and Pommard. The fruit for the reserve blend is primarily of the Dijon and Pommard clones. Each clone adds unique characters and extractive flavors that make the overall blend very complex. Estancia Reserve Pinot is produced in small, open top tanks that allow us to do gentle punch downs during fermentation and is then pressed using gentle basket presses. This attention to detail results in a supple, elegant and complex wine.

Estancia Winery 2001 Merlot

In our quest to make a great Merlot we decided to include fruit from two regions. We chose Monterey for the exceptional texture that the grapes from there provide and Paso Robles for the sunny California red berry characters that fruit from that region imparts in the finished wine. By blending fruit from the two counties, we are able to craft a vibrant, delicious wine you will remember for a very long time. The 2001 vintage in Monterey and Paso Robles was marked by cool weather, first in the early part of the season when we experienced frost after bud break and then towards the end of the growing season in August. Although this increased the ripening time for most grapes, Merlot progressed at a normal rate and the result was great fruit with bright colors and saturated flavors.

Estancia Winery 2000 Zinfandel

Estancia Zinfandel is produced from some the highest-quality zinfandel vineyards in the coastal region. Warm days and cool evenings contribute to the wines ripe fruit flavors and balanced acidity. Our 2000 Estancia Zinfandel is a juicy, lively, medium-bodied red wine made for sipping in the company of good food. Ready to drink tonight, it will also taste delicious in five years. So pull out the cork and pour a glass with dinner or set it in your cellar and look forward to its brilliant flavors and opulent intensity at a future meal.

Estancia Winery 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon

Grapes from Estancia's new Paso Robles vineyards and renowned Alexander Valley vineyards are supplemented with fruit from northern California's best growing regions to blend a complex and delicious Cabernet at an affordable price. The 2000 vintage reflects the growing conditions in Paso Robles. The extreme temperature swings are greater here than in any other California appellation, resulting in concentrated wines for intense varietal character.

Estancia Winery 2001 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon

Growing conditions in Paso Robles are extreme -- temperature swings are greater here than in any other California appellation. The rugged landscape, unique microclimate and infertile soils at our ranches produce red varietals with low yields, small clusters, tiny berries and high skin-to-juice ratios for concentrated wines with intense varietal character. These prime conditions are ideal for growing Estancia's Bordeaux-varietal wines. 2001 is the debut vintage of Estancia's Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon, a transition that has been in the works since 1998. In 1999, Estancia planted nearly 700 acres along the Estrella River benchland in Paso Robles, nearly 400 acres of which is Cabernet Sauvignon. This emerging region is ideal for producing grapes that result in our complex and delicious Cabernet that displays intense black currant and dark cherry fruit flavors followed by a long, rich finish.

Estancia Winery 2000 Red Meritage

With their ocean influence and gravel-based soils, our Alexander Valley vineyards produce grapes that allow us to fashion elegant wines with round, supple tannins and a long, complex finish. Estancia Meritage is crafted to create a sophisticated, rich, complex and luscious wine harvested from the Alexander Valley's distinctive terroir. The 2000 vintage was a mix of cool and warm spells, which proved to be excellent for allowing the grapes to hang on the vine for a long time to develop concentrated flavors and ripen evenly until they were ready to be harvested at their peak.